DIY and Large Projects

Comment

Comment by Chief Walks on January 5, 2018 at 9:20am

Comment by Chief Walks on December 29, 2017 at 4:20pm

Comment by Chief Walks on December 28, 2017 at 11:56pm

Comment by Chief Walks on December 28, 2017 at 11:56pm

Native Americans have often found the lowly cattail to be high on their lists of important plants. It is a food source, a fire starter and even the stem can be used as an arrow shaft. Apparently, native American Indians used the stems of the cattail often for this purpose, as the plant was readily available and easy to manipulate. This is a very primitive arrow and is more of an activity to do on a weekend outing, rather than a serious arrow to be used for food hunting.

Things You'll Need

    Knife
    Feather (optional)
    String (optional)

Instructions
        1  Locate a stand of cattails. They usually can be found near standing water. The plant is characterized by its brown tubular seed heads that swell over the summer and then burst in the fall and winter.
        2  Look for dry and browning stems that have hardened, unlike the green stems around them. Cut as low to the ground as possible with a sharp knife.
        3  Trim the top of the reed off, as it gets more narrow near the top and is weaker. Cut the reed to about half the length of your bow or even a little shorter. Shorter arrows are a little easier to make and shoot straighter.
        4  Smooth off any rough spots on the outside, making it as smooth as possible. Sharpen the end of it so that it comes to a sharp point. Whittle the point with your knife or scrape it against a rough rock. This takes a little care as the stem is hollow, and unless you plan on manually adding an arrow head, you want to make it as pointed and sharp as possible.
        5  Cut a notch in the back, or thicker end, for the string of the bow. This does not have to be very deep, just enough to keep the string from sliding off.
        6  Use your arrow at this point. However, if you come across a feather, it helps it to fly straighter. Cut the feather down the middle of the spine with a very sharp knife. Trim each piece down to about 4 inches. Attach them to the arrow opposite to each other with string, wrapping tightly and leaving sections of the feather sticking out. Make a close knot and cut it as close to the arrow as possible.

Comment by Chief Walks on December 28, 2017 at 11:55pm

Deer Antler Whistle

Comment by Chief Walks on December 28, 2017 at 11:53pm

Comment by Chief Walks on December 28, 2017 at 11:52pm

Comment by Chief Walks on December 28, 2017 at 11:51pm

Making Fish Hooks

Comment by Chief Walks on December 28, 2017 at 11:51pm

Welding - Tips for Beginners, Types of Welds and Troubleshooting

Comment by Chief Walks on December 28, 2017 at 11:50pm

Make a loincloth - the cockbag

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• …
• 14
• Next ›
• Page